Log raft and rafting device



May 19, 1925. 4 1,538,415

G. G. DAVIS ET AL LOG RAFT AND RAFTING DEVICE Filed Nqv. 21. 192s INVENTORS' Gusnr G.ZAv/s MArruEw UJBAW:

Patented May 19,'1925.

UNITED STATES GILBERT anAvrs AND MATTHEW J. DAVIS, oF PORTLAND, onEGoN.

Loo RAFT AND RAFTING Drvrcis.-4

. Application `filed November 21,1923. SeralNo. 676,124. D

To all whom t may concern:

Be it lknown that we, GTLBERT G. DAvis and MATTHEW-J. DAvTs, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and both residents of l the city of Portland, in the State of Oregon, D

United States of America, have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in vLogRafts and Rafting Devices, .of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements 1n logk rafts and rafting devices, the objects of which are to enable very large quantities of..

logs to be formed into rafts for transportation through open waters, other objects being to provide means whereby the rafts may be so raftedj as to form a symmetrical body with relatively smooth sides and bottom' that the friction of the'f'water thereagainst is reduced toa minimum also to provide vessels to enclose the ends of the logs so,l rafted that the raft may be easilytowed at reasonable speed with a Lminimum of ytowing effort, a further objectlis'to so construct the rafting devices that they may be coupled together after dismantling the raftand utilized on the return journeyv` as barges.

They invention consists essentially of a pair of open ended vessels having kwatertight Hoor compartmentsand logs formed into a" raft in such a manner that the ends of the raft are `held in position within the open ends of the vessels, and means for binding` the raft together, and thefvessels together so that the strains imparted to the raft and its vessels by the action ofwaves tends to tighten the bindings,` as will be more particularlydescribed in the following speci-y fication in which :f Q. g

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention. D

D Fig. 2 isa plan view. f

Fig. Sisa side view. f Fig. ,4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view. i

Fig. `5 is a vpart sectional view showingy the manner in which the rafting devices are coupled together for returning to starting point. D l

Fig.l 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the coupling means.

Infthe drawings like characters of refer` ence indicate'corres'ponding parts in each rThe numerals and 2yindicate `the forward and rear` ends respectively of the raft#y ing devices which are open ended vessels ,similar to the bow and stern sections ofy a barge,r the Hoor of each being provided with a plurality of watertight compartments 3, 4c and 5 into or outof any of which water may be pumped by any suitable means `so as to sink or rai-se the vesselsl and 2, and to trim them` that they may be conveniently loaded or that theymay be connected together for the return tow. The numeral 6 indicates the bottom wall, 7 the side walls and 8 the floor, theend wall 9 of the ycompartment bis set back from the end of the bottom wall 6 to form a ledge 10 on which the floor logs of theraft are laid. 11 indicates an upstanding angle iron which is yriveted to the open end of the bottom wall G and the side walls 7 which serves as a means whereby the vessels l and 2 are connected together to make a watertight `joint and also to form a gripping connection with the ends of the logs forming the bottom and sides of the'raft.k 12 see Figsb and 6) indicates a plurality of lugsvupon the floor 8 andthe inside of the side walls 7 through each pair of which a bolt 13 is passed for coupling up the vessels l and 2 to form a barge for return'cargo. ,14 indicates a pair of hawse pipes through which towor anchor ropes are passed. Vithin each of the vessels 1 and 2 are provided a plurality of ring bolts 15 to which blocks 16 and 17 are fastened, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. 18 indicates further eyes or ring bolts upon the inside of the walls 7 for the attachment of .D the longitudinal binding ropes 32.

. Asa means for providing llateral stability tofthe vesselsl yand 2 transverse bridges 19 are erected which"bind the side walls 7 against spreadingv strains,` Isuch bridges being supported from the floor 8 by a plu-p.l rality of fstanchions| 2O whichalso yserve to `define substantially rectangular spaces 2l through which the ends ofthe logs extend thus forming a substantial clamping effect -to different groups of logs adjacentv their the vessels l and 2 being laidwtorabut the outer'en'd'o't' compa'rtinentsb, a-lsi'de of the logs resting upon the bottom (i ot-the -vessels so thatthe. underside otfthe tloor, 'formed by such logs is level With the bottoni ot the vessels l and 2. The web ot-the` angleirons ll cuts into the logs as successive tiers ot logs are laid up, thus'fforiningapositivecon? nection between the vessels and the logs ot' thetloorand si'des'o' the raft. `"lhe l'loorv logs are transverselyboundtogetherby ropes le which are passed alternately over and und'erthe logs, the' ropesbeing clanipedI to- `gether adjacent vthe sides otthe rait as at ifa 'and' the ropes laid out for turther use on *the'rat sigles. 'lt Willfbeunderstood that thelogs are not necessarily continuous jtroni `en`d`to end ot the 'ra'ttbut may be 'run in variouslengths with 'the ends ottone roiv overlapping the en'ds' of' another 'rowy and stiieient transverse bindings being used to 'l 'wld thesever'al logsV together as abody. 'llhen the lloor logs are in position andare 'transversely bound together at 'suitable in- S-"terralslthe other llogs indicated generally by vr'the nuineral QG arel'aid upon thein and side logs 2,7 are built up and' bound together with the ropesy 2e in 'la sinilar' in'anner to' that enip--ijfed with the floor'log's, the endif, of said sa# sidelogs passing` into "the vessels l and 2 "and being gripped also by the Webs of ^the yangleirons l1. 2S indicates binding ropes by which eorrespondinglogs in opposite side `walls are'held against lateral spreading.

Tilhen a suitable number ol logs have been erei'ilylaid upon thei'ioor logs!` ropes are "securedtoring bolts lo .upon the vfloor of vessel l Which'is run lengthwise ot'theraft throngh blocks 17, insidefvessel 2 and thence bach along the raft Yand are passed out "'throilgh the havfse pipe le foin attachment to the rope ot the tug,` siniilarropes 30 are attached to ring` bolts l5 uponLthe floor ofthe fressel 2 `run!lengthwise of the rattthrough blocks 16 otthe vessel l and back'to 'the vessell 2"*vvhere `it. passes Athrough suitable vleads'or blocks' and is attached to aWinch QQby which it is tl'rawntaut at the contr pletfion otthevraft eonstructionto bin'dthe vessels'lirinlyV to` the ends oifthe raft ollfllogs. it suitable ii'itervals in the height (if the raft and also 'when the rait is entirelybuilt, l'iin'dingv ropes 3l are passed down `one si'de .underthc licor logs up on opposite slides 'of the raft and are drawn tightto securely` bind ythe several logs together-and are claniped vtogether upon any desiredtier ot logis As a further ineens of securing the vessels l -and 2 to the rat't oflog's apair oit ropes 32 are attached (on both sides ot the raft) :to f opposing ring; bolts 18 inside or" the side Walls T, which ropes are stretched as tightly as po'ssi'bldivhen a binding,` rope 33 is sliacliled adjacentthe inicblength ot the upper rope of each pair; theA rope" passing u nder the raft up the opposite 'side' and over the'topfwlienre it passes around the lower'rope oit the pair and vis brought back onto the top of the raft and clamped upon itself. `4The rattinay be bound at any desired interval of itsheigrht or its length.

ln order that the bindinfrs may be inore clearly 'tollowedin'iligz Il, but one pair ot ropes 32 with its binding rope is shown, though siniilar ropes 'will be applied rto tighten 'theressels l and 2 togetl'ieiwiirtlie opposite side ofthe raft.

Haring thus described theseveral.parts cloni invention andthe manner in which it is constructed 'We lwillnow bri-city i3-plain the manner in `which itiis towed`r dismantled at'destinatioinand the 'vessels l'and las semble/d forthe 'return passage.

4ln towing 1Jthe "tree ends ot' the ropes Q9 are preferably'coupled together kand a block. `attached to the tow line oi the tugris-applied 'to the'bight so l`formed sotliat )the pull ot the 'tug isA ei'enly exerteduponboth 'of' the ropesgsuch strain beine'v constant sut lices to' automaticallyv tighten upthe rait in an endifise direction. ittound'desirable during the towing` period' any lslack developing on any oi the other ropes may be talfeirup 'by inea'ns et the4 wine-hes The'raft can'be quizflfly dismantled by releasing theV several binding :means and `allowingthe logis toi'allapart.

v/henall oi' the logs-have floated clear 'of the resselsfl `and 2,"vcater-is' admitted to or removedroin'the compartments 3, Llvand 5 until they "float on an even keel,"ivhen [they are brought" together and `coupled by the: bolts 13" as shou'nin-Fig. yitfthenfsutlices to pump out anyuvater tron'r the interior when any suitable vcargo 'may bel stowed therein and the vessels used on 'the return as abarge.

lt will thus beseen that'we have invented means which vWillfena'liletlarge `raftstdbe t'orined .for towing in'oceanivaterswith a Vniilninnmi'towing eiiort and which Vcanibe used as a cargo carryingbarge Whenbeing Yreturned' "to the point o't prii'na'rry loa-ding.

What We claiin as our invention is:

l. The combination'ivithra longitudinally arranged log` raft havingtloorllogs and. side Wall "logs, of a pair/ot vopen* ended vessels into Which the ends of the raft are a'daiited to rest,.an`d lmeansv su'rroini'ding` the 4open ends oli' t-he Vvesselstor engaging* the en'ds'ot 'the'ltloor andside Wall logs.

The combination with a longitudinally arrangedlog raft'7 and ajpair ot open ended vessels in which theends ot'thetratt 'are adapted' to rest,.'ot a tow rope secured to the interior of one vessel extending longitudinally of the raft andvthrough a'block in the interior. of the other'vesselandtroni thence backto the first nained'tvessel and through a: hawse pipe therein.

3. The combination with a longitudinally arranged log rait and a pairof open ended vessels in which the ends of the raft are adapted to rest, of ropes attached to the interior of one of the vessels extending longitudinally kof the raftand through blocks in the interior of the other vessel and from thence back to the first named vessel and means for connecting the cable-of the towing tug thereto to equalize the strain on said ropes.

4. A log rafting device comprising a pair of open ended vessele'lilev units7 and means for connecting the open ends of the units together to form a single fioatablevess'el.

5. The combination of a log raft, vesselV members housing the ends of the raft,

lWinches carried by one of said vessel members andy ropes secured at one end to saidy Winches and at the opposite end to one 'of said vessel members, the intermediate portions of said ropesbeing'trained around pulleys carried by both of the vessel members and serving to draw the latter together when the ropes are tightenedby manipula vtion of the Winches.

6. The combinationof a log raft, vessel members housing the ends of the raft, longitudinal ropes connecting the sides of the vessel members at each side of the raft, a

transverse rope passing beneath the raft` the intermediate portions ofk the ropes trained around pulleys carried by both of the vessel members interiorly thereof and at opposite ends of the raft and rope tight ening means carried by one of the vessel members and connected to the remaining ends of the last mentioned ropes.

7. The combination of a log raft, vessel members housing the ends of the raft, said raft consisting or' an outer series of logs bound together and extending across the bottom and forwardly along the sides of the vessel members to form the bottom and sides or' the log raft, tiers of inner logs constituting the center of the raft disposed upon lthe bottom logs and between the side logs of said outer series, suitable means securing all of said logstogether in raft formation and means for securing the vessel members to the raft.

8. The combination of a log raft, vessel members formed to enclose the ends of the raft cable means for tying the vessel members together when engaged with the raft and independent means i'or directly coupling said vessel members to form a complete vessel serviceable independently of the raft.

.Dated at Newport, Oreg., -this 22 day of October, 1923.

. .GILBERT G. DAVIS.

MATTHEW J. DAVIS. Witnesses: y

H. MoPHERsoN,

D. T. HARDING. 

